The Market Day

Tuesday and Fridays are Market days and I'm appreciating them very much while I don't have a day job!

To and from the Market I walked along the canal. It's kind of nice to have a lush green strip that meanders through the city. I mean, the water's green, which isn't perhaps beautiful, but there are lots of trees along the edge too, at least around here there are. After Faubourg du Temple the canal goes underground and appears as just a nice boulevard with an ample garden down the middle. La Grisette stands at the head of the garden, looking north(ish) up the canal.

La Grisette

Grisette is a term that refered to the working class women of France. The term began as a reference to their typically grey clothing. The title developed over the centuries:

The 1694 edition of the Dictionnaire de l'Académie française described a grisette as simply "a woman of lowly condition". By the 1835 edition of the dictionary, her status had risen somewhat. She was described as: "a young working woman who is coquettish and flirtatious." 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grisette_%28French%29

As did most lower class women's titles, into the 20th century it became associated with sex. But that's all in the wikipedia explanation. As for the MARKET..

The first tuesday we went (it was before the end of Lyaz's holiday) there was a lebanese stand that did manoushe... mmmm... manoushe... I didn't see it on this occaision. But as always there were veggies and fruits and meat and fish galore... some more mouth watering that others... but all for sale!

some veggies

some life aquatic

The rest are bits from the walk home.

The lock marks the point where the canal goes underground, or comes out from underground, which ever your direction of travel. Picturesque, the image is well known from its starring role in Amelie! Mostly though, it's just a great place to sit and relax for a bit.

The locke along the canal

Chez Prune is a great bar. I spent a very animated evening there with some friends a while back. Their food it a little expensive, if I remember correctly, but the beer is relatively cold and costs an average sum. Patios are the key to any bar's success it seems... Prune's is good. It looks right out to the canal and the intersection is relatively quiet in the evenings. All in all a nice bar to occupy for an evening!

le coin de chez prune